The genome of bacteriophage K1F, a T7-like phage that has acquired the ability to replicate on K1 strains of Escherichia coli

Bacteriophage K1F specifically infects Escherichia coli strains that produce the K1 polysaccharide capsule. Like several other K1 capsule-specific phages, K1F encodes an endo-neuraminidase (endosialidase) that is part of the tail structure which allows the phage to recognize and degrade the polysaccharide capsule. The complete nucleotide sequence of the K1F genome reveals that it is closely related to bacteriophage T7 in both genome organization and sequence similarity. The most striking difference between the two phages is that K1F encodes the endosialidase in the analogous position to the T7 tail fiber gene. This is in contrast with bacteriophage K1-5, another K1-specific phage, which encodes a very similar endosialidase which is part of a tail gene "module" at the end of the phage genome. It appears that diverse phages have acquired endosialidase genes by horizontal gene transfer and that these genes or gene products have adapted to different genome and virion architectures.     

The Tip of the Tail Needle Affects the Rate of DNA Delivery by Bacteriophage P22

The P22-like bacteriophages have short tails. Their virions bind to their polysaccharide receptors through six trimeric tailspike proteins that surround the tail tip. These short tails also have a trimeric needle protein that extends beyond the tailspikes from the center of the tail tip, in a position that suggests that it should make first contact with the host’s outer membrane during the infection process. The base of the needle serves as a plug that keeps the DNA in the virion, but role of the needle during adsorption and DNA injection is not well understood. Among the P22-like phages are needle types with two completely different C-terminal distal tip domains. In the phage Sf6-type needle, unlike the other P22-type needle, the distal tip folds into a “knob” with a TNF-like fold, similar to the fiber knobs of bacteriophage PRD1 and Adenovirus. The phage HS1 knob is very similar to that of Sf6, and we report here its crystal structure which, like the Sf6 knob, contains three bound L-glutamate molecules. A chimeric P22 phage with a tail needle that contains the HS1 terminal knob efficiently infects the P22 host, Salmonella enterica, suggesting the knob does not confer host specificity. Likewise, mutations that should abrogate the binding of L-glutamate to the needle do not appear to affect virion function, but several different other genetic changes to the tip of the needle slow down potassium release from the host during infection. These findings suggest that the needle plays a role in phage P22 DNA delivery by controlling the kinetics of DNA ejection into the host.     

Structure and Function of the Branched Receptor-Binding Complex of Bacteriophage CBA120

Bacteriophages recognize their host cells with the help of tail fiber and tailspike proteins that bind, cleave, or modify certain structures on the cell surface. The spectrum of ligands to which the tail fibers and tailspikes can bind is the primary determinant of the host range. Bacteriophages with multiple tailspike/tail fibers are thought to have a wider host range than their less endowed relatives but the function of these proteins remains poorly understood. Here, we describe the structure, function, and substrate specificity of three tailspike proteins of bacteriophage CBA120—TSP2, TSP3 and TSP4 (orf211 through orf213, respectively). We show that tailspikes TSP2, TSP3 and TSP4 are hydrolases that digest the O157, O77, and O78 Escherichia coli O-antigens, respectively. We demonstrate that recognition of the E. coli O157:H7 host by CBA120 involves binding to and digesting the O157 O-antigen by TSP2. We report the crystal structure of TSP2 in complex with a repeating unit of the O157 O-antigen. We demonstrate that according to the specificity of its tailspikes TSP2, TSP3, and TSP4, CBA120 can infect E. coli O157, O77, and O78, respectively. We also show that CBA120 infects Salmonella enterica serovar Minnesota, and this host range expansion is likely due to the function of TSP1. Finally, we describe the assembly pathway and the architecture of the TSP1–TSP2–TSP3–TSP4 branched complex in CBA120 and its related ViI-like phages.     

Crystal structure of the polysialic acid-degrading endosialidase of bacteriophage K1F

Phages infecting the polysialic acid (polySia)-encapsulated human pathogen Escherichia coli K1 are equipped with capsule-degrading tailspikes known as endosialidases, which are the only identified enzymes that specifically degrade polySia. As polySia also promotes cellular plasticity and tumor metastasis in vertebrates, endosialidases are widely applied in polySia-related neurosciences and cancer research. Here we report the crystal structures of endosialidase NF and its complex with oligomeric sialic acid. The structure NF, which reveals three distinct domains, indicates that the unique polySia specificity evolved from a combination of structural elements characteristic of exosialidases and bacteriophage tailspike proteins. The endosialidase assembles into a catalytic trimer stabilized by a triple beta-helix. Its active site differs markedly from that of exosialidases, indicating an endosialidase-specific substrate-binding mode and catalytic mechanism. Residues essential for endosialidase activity were identified by structure-based mutational analysis.     

Evolution of a new enzyme activity from the same motif fold

The host cell recognition protein of the Escherichia coli bacteriophage HK620 is a large homotrimeric tailspike that cleaves the O18A1 type O antigen. The crystal structure of HK620 tailspike determined in the apo and substrate-bound form is reported by Barbirz et al. in this issue of Molecular Microbiology. Lacking detectable sequence similarity, the fold and overall organization of the HK620 tailspike are similar to those of the tailspikes of the related phages P22 and Sf6. The substrate-binding site is intrasubunit in P22 and HK620 tailspikes, but intersubunit in Sf6, demonstrating how phages can adapt the same protein fold to recognize different substrates.     

Bacteriophage K1-5 encodes two different tail fiber proteins, allowing it to infect and replicate on both K1 and K5 strains of Escherichia coli

A virulent double-stranded DNA bacteriophage, Phi K1-5, has been isolated and found to be capable of infecting Escherichia coli strains that possess either the K1 or the K5 polysaccharide capsule. Electron micrographs show that the virion consists of a small icosohedral head with short tail spikes, similar to members of the Podoviridae family. DNA sequence analysis of the region encoding the tail fiber protein showed two open reading frames encoding previously characterized hydrolytic phage tail fiber proteins. The first is the K5 lyase protein gene of Phi K5, which allows this phage to specifically infect K5 E. coli strains. A second open reading frame encodes a protein almost identical in amino acid sequence to the N-acetylneuraminidase (endosialidase) protein of Phi K1E, which allows this phage to specifically infect K1 strains of E. coli. We provide experimental evidence that mature phage particles contain both tail fiber proteins, and mutational analysis indicates that each protein can be independently inactivated. A comparison of the tail gene regions of Phi K5, Phi K1E, and Phi K1-5 shows that the genes are arranged in a modular or cassette configuration and suggests that this family of phages can broaden host range by horizontal gene transfer.     

Evolutionary principles and synthetic biology: avoiding a molecular tragedy of the commons with an engineered phage

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: In prior work, adding a gene to phage T7 that degraded the host K1 capsule facilitated growth when plated on capsulated hosts. However, the transgenic protein (an endosialidase) is expressed as an exoenzyme, released from the cell at lysis but unattached to the phage particle. There is thus the possibility that the gene will be subject to a tragedy of the commons and be selected against, if the enzyme benefits other genomes. Results: This evolutionary perspective was supported in short term experiments. The genome carrying the endosialidase gene was favored on a capsulated host if grown in physical isolation of control genomes (lacking the gene) but was selected against otherwise. Conclusions: These results challenge efforts to engineer phages with exoenzymes that degrade biofilm polymers. If biofilms do not facilitate spatially structured phage growth, the transgenic enzymes may be rapidly eliminated from the phage population after release in the environment, even if the transgene benefits overall phage growth on the biofilm.     

Mapping the Tail Fiber as the Receptor Binding Protein Responsible for Differential Host Specificity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Bacteriophages PaP1 and JG004

The first step in bacteriophage infection is recognition and binding to the host receptor, which is mediated by the phage receptor binding protein (RBP). Different RBPs can lead to differential host specificity. In many bacteriophages, such as Escherichia coli and Lactococcal phages, RBPs have been identified as the tail fiber or protruding baseplate proteins. However, the tail fiber-dependent host specificity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa phages has not been well studied. This study aimed to identify and investigate the binding specificity of the RBP of P. aeruginosa phages PaP1 and JG004. These two phages share high DNA sequence homology but exhibit different host specificities. A spontaneous mutant phage was isolated and exhibited broader host range compared with the parental phage JG004. Sequencing of its putative tail fiber and baseplate region indicated a single point mutation in ORF84 (a putative tail fiber gene), which resulted in the replacement of a positively charged lysine (K) by an uncharged asparagine (N). We further demonstrated that the replacement of the tail fiber gene (ORF69) of PaP1 with the corresponding gene from phage JG004 resulted in a recombinant phage that displayed altered host specificity. Our study revealed the tail fiber-dependent host specificity in P. aeruginosa phages and provided an effective tool for its alteration. These contributions may have potential value in phage therapy.     

The structures of bacteriophages K1E and K1-5 explain processive degradation of polysaccharide capsules and evolution of new host specificities

External polysaccharides of many pathogenic bacteria form capsules protecting the bacteria from the animal immune system and phage infection. However, some bacteriophages can digest these capsules using glycosidases displayed on the phage particle. We have utilized cryo-electron microscopy to determine the structures of phages K1E and K1-5 and thereby establish the mechanism by which these phages attain and switch their host specificity. Using a specific glycosidase, both phages penetrate the capsule and infect the neuroinvasive human pathogen Escherichia coli K1. In addition to the K1-specific glycosidase, each K1-5 particle carries a second enzyme that allows it to infect E. coli K5, whose capsule is chemically different from that of K1. The enzymes are organized into a multiprotein complex attached via an adapter protein to the virus portal vertex, through which the DNA is ejected during infection. The structure of the complex suggests a mechanism for the apparent processivity of degradation that occurs as the phage drills through the polysaccharide capsule. The enzymes recognize the adapter protein by a conserved N-terminal sequence, providing a mechanism for phages to acquire different enzymes and thus to evolve new host specificities.     

Characterization of a novel intramolecular chaperone domain conserved in endosialidases and other bacteriophage tail spike and fiber proteins

Folding and assembly of endosialidases, the trimeric tail spike proteins of Escherichia coli K1-specific bacteriophages, crucially depend on their C-terminal domain (CTD). Homologous CTDs were identified in phage proteins belonging to three different protein families: neck appendage proteins of several Bacillus phages, L-shaped tail fibers of coliphage T5, and K5 lyases, the tail spike proteins of phages infecting E. coli K5. By analyzing a representative of each family, we show that in all cases, the CTD is cleaved off after a strictly conserved serine residue and alanine substitution prevented cleavage. Further structural and functional analyses revealed that (i) CTDs are autonomous domains with a high alpha-helical content; (ii) proteolytically released CTDs assemble into hexamers, which are most likely dimers of trimers; (iii) highly conserved amino acids within the CTD are indispensable for CTD-mediated folding and complex formation; (iv) CTDs can be exchanged between proteins of different families; and (v) proteolytic cleavage is essential to stabilize the native protein complex. Data obtained for full-length and proteolytically processed endosialidase variants suggest that release of the CTD increases the unfolding barrier, trapping the mature trimer in a kinetically stable conformation. In summary, we characterize the CTD as a novel C-terminal chaperone domain, which assists folding and assembly of unrelated phage proteins.     

Identification of three podoviruses infecting Klebsiella encoding capsule depolymerases that digest specific capsular types

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important human pathogen causing opportunistic nosocomial and community-acquired infections. A major public health concern regarding K. pneumoniae is the increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant strains. Here, we isolated three novel Klebsiella bacteriophages, KN1-1, KN3-1 and KN4-1, which infect KN1, KN3 and K56, and KN4 types respectively. We determined their genome sequences and conducted a comparative analysis that revealed a variable region containing capsule depolymerase-encoding genes. Recombinant depolymerase proteins were produced, and their enzymatic activity and specificity were evaluated. We identified four capsule depolymerases in these phages that could only digest the capsule types of their respective hosts. Our results demonstrate that the activities of these capsule depolymerases were correlated with the host range of each phage; thus, the capsule depolymerases are host specificity determinants. By generating a capsule mutant, we demonstrate that capsule was essential for phage adsorption and infection. Further, capsule depolymerases can enhance bacterial susceptibility to serum killing. The discovery of these phages and depolymerases lays the foundation for the typing of KN1, KN3, KN4 and K56 Klebsiella and could be useful alternative therapeutics for the treatment of K. pneumoniae infections.     

Susceptibility of Different Coliphage Genomes to Host-controlled Variation

Twenty-eight coliphages were studied for their susceptibility to four systems of host control variation in Escherichia coli. Both temperate and virulent phages were studied, including phages with ribonucleic acid, double- and single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and glucosylated DNA. The systems examined were E. coli C-K, K-B, B-K, and K-K(P1). The C-K, K-B, and B-K systems affected temperate phages and nonlysogenizing mutants derived from temperate phages. In general, these systems did not restrict virulent phages. Phage 21e, a variant of phage 21, lost the ability to undergo restriction in the C-K and B-K systems, but retained susceptibility to the K-B and K-K(P1) systems. This suggests that the genetic site(s) on the phage, as well as in the host, determines susceptibility to host-controlled variation. Both temperate and dependent virulent phages were susceptible to the host control system resulting from the presence of prophage P1. The autonomous and small virulents were not susceptible. In a given system, the various susceptible phages differed widely in their efficiency of plating on the restricting host. If the few infections that occur arise in rare special cells, then different populations of special cells are available to different phage species. For most phage types, when a susceptible phage infected a nonrestricting host, the progeny showed the specificity appropriate to that host. Behavior of T3 was exceptional, however. When T3 obtained from E. coli K infected E. coli C or B, some of the progeny phages retained K host specificity, whereas others acquired the specificity of the new host.     

Crystal structure of Escherichia coli phage HK620 tailspike: podoviral tailspike endoglycosidase modules are evolutionarily related

Bacteriophage HK620 infects Escherichia coli H and is closely related to Shigella phage Sf6 and Salmonella phage P22. All three Podoviridae recognize and cleave their respective host cell receptor polysaccharide by homotrimeric tailspike proteins. The three proteins exhibit high sequence identity in the 110 residues of their N-terminal particle-binding domains, but no apparent sequence similarity in their major, receptor-binding parts. We have biochemically characterized the receptor-binding part of HK620 tailspike and determined its crystal structure to 1.38 A resolution. Its major domain is a right-handed parallel beta-helix, as in Sf6 and P22 tailspikes. HK620 tailspike has endo-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity and produces hexasaccharides of an O18A1-type O-antigen. As indicated by the structure of a hexasaccharide complex determined at 1.6 A resolution, the endoglycosidase-active sites are located intramolecularly, as in P22, and not between subunits, as in Sf6 tailspike. In contrast, the extreme C-terminal domain of HK620 tailspike forms a beta-sandwich, as in Sf6 and unlike P22 tailspike. Despite the different folds, structure-based sequence alignments of the C-termini reveal motifs conserved between the three proteins. We propose that the tailspike genes of P22, Sf6 and HK620 have a common precursor and are not mosaics of unrelated gene fragments.     

Proteolytic processing and oligomerization of bacteriophage-derived endosialidases

Bacteriophages infecting the neuroinvasive pathogen Escherichia coli K1 require an endosialidase to penetrate the polysialic acid capsule of the host. Sequence information is available for the endosialidases endoNE, endoNF, and endoN63D of the K1-specific phages phi K1E, phi K1F, and 63D, respectively. The cloned sequences share a highly conserved catalytic domain but differ in the length of the N- and C-terminal parts. Although the expression of active recombinant enzyme succeeded in the case of endoNE, it failed for endoNF. Protein alignments of all three endosialidase sequences gave rise to the assumption that inactivity of the cloned endoNF is caused by a C-terminal truncation. By reinvestigation of the respective gene locus in the phi K1F genome, we identified an extended open reading frame of 3195 bp, encoding a 119-kDa protein. Full-length endoNF contains the C-terminal domain conserved in all endosialidases, which may act as an intramolecular chaperone. Comparative studies carried out with endoNE and endoNF demonstrate that endosialidases are proteolytically processed, releasing the C-terminal domain. Using a mutational approach in combination with protein analytical techniques we demonstrate that (i) the C-terminal domain is a common feature of endosialidases and other tail fiber proteins; (ii) the integrity of the C-terminal domain and its presence in the nascent protein are crucial for the formation of active enzymes; (iii) proteolytic processing is not essential for enzymatic activity; and (iv) functional folding is a prerequisite for trimerization of endoNF.     

Atomic structure of bacteriophage Sf6 tail needle knob

Podoviridae are double-stranded DNA bacteriophages that use short, non-contractile tails to adsorb to the host cell surface. Within the tail apparatus of P22-like phages, a dedicated fiber known as the “tail needle” likely functions as a cell envelope-penetrating device to promote ejection of viral DNA inside the host. In Sf6, a P22-like phage that infects Shigella flexneri, the tail needle presents a C-terminal globular knob. This knob, absent in phage P22 but shared in other members of the P22-like genus, represents the outermost exposed tip of the virion that contacts the host cell surface. Here, we report a crystal structure of the Sf6 tail needle knob determined at 1.0 Å resolution. The structure reveals a trimeric globular domain of the TNF fold structurally superimposable with that of the tail-less phage PRD1 spike protein P5 and the adenovirus knob, domains that in both viruses function in receptor binding. However, P22-like phages are not known to utilize a protein receptor and are thought to directly penetrate the host surface. At 1.0 Å resolution, we identified three equivalents of l-glutamic acid (l-Glu) bound to each subunit interface. Although intimately bound to the protein, l-Glu does not increase the structural stability of the trimer nor it affects its ability to self-trimerize in vitro. In analogy to P22 gp26, we suggest the tail needle of phage Sf6 is ejected through the bacterial cell envelope during infection and its C-terminal knob is threaded through peptidoglycan pores formed by glycan strands.     

The terminally redundant, nonpermuted genome of Listeria bacteriophage A511: a model for the SPO1-like myoviruses of gram-positive bacteria

Only little information on a particular class of myoviruses, the SPO1-like bacteriophages infecting low-G+C-content, gram-positive host bacteria (Firmicutes), is available. We present the genome analysis and molecular characterization of the large, virulent, broad-host-range Listeria phage A511. A511 contains a unit (informational) genome of 134,494 bp, encompassing 190 putative open reading frames (ORFs) and 16 tRNA genes, organized in a modular fashion common among the Caudovirales. Electron microscopy, enzymatic fragmentation analyses, and sequencing revealed that the A511 DNA molecule contains linear terminal repeats of a total of 3,125 bp, encompassing nine small putative ORFs. This particular genome structure explains why A511 is unable to perform general transduction. A511 features significant sequence homologies to Listeria phage P100 and other morphologically related phages infecting Firmicutes such as Staphylococcus phage K and Lactobacillus phage LP65. Equivalent but more-extensive terminal repeats also exist in phages P100 (approximately 6 kb) and K (approximately 20 kb). High-resolution electron microscopy revealed, for the first time, the presence of long tail fibers organized in a sixfold symmetry in these viruses. Mass spectrometry-based peptide fingerprinting permitted assignment of individual proteins to A511 structural components. On the basis of the data available for A511 and relatives, we propose that SPO1-like myoviruses are characterized by (i) their infection of gram-positive, low-G+C-content bacteria; (ii) a wide host range within the host bacterial genus and a strictly virulent lifestyle; (iii) similar morphology, sequence relatedness, and collinearity of the phage genome organization; and (iv) large double-stranded DNA genomes featuring nonpermuted terminal repeats of various sizes.     

Alteration of tail fiber protein gp38 enables T2 phage to infect Escherichia coli O157:H7

Artificial control of phage specificity may contribute to practical applications, such as the therapeutic use of phages and the detection of bacteria by their specific phages. To change the specificity of phage infection, gene products (gp) 37 and 38, expressed at the tip of the long tail fiber of T2 phage, were exchanged with those of PP01 phage, an Escherichia coli O157:H7 specific phage. Homologous recombination between the T2 phage genome and a plasmid encoding the region around genes 37-38 of PP01 occurred in transformant E. coli K12 cells. The recombinant T2 phage, named T2ppD1, carried PP01 gp37 and 38 and infected the heterogeneous host cell E. coli O157:H7 and related species. On the other hand, T2ppD1 could not infect E. coli K12, the original host of T2, or its derivatives. The host range of T2ppD1 was the same as that of PP01. Infection of T2ppD1 produced turbid plaques on a lawn of E. coli O157:H7 cells. The binding affinity of T2ppD1 to E. coli O157:H7 was weaker than that of PP01. The adsorption rate constant (ka) of T2ppD1 (0.17 x 10(-9)(ml CFU(-1) min(-1)) was almost 1/6 that of PP01 (1.10 x 10(-9)(ml CFU(-1) min(-1))). In addition to the tip of the long tail fiber, exchange of gene products expressed in the short tail fiber may be necessary for tight binding of recombinant phage.     

Genomic analysis of bacteriophages SP6 and K1-5, an estranged subgroup of the T7 supergroup

We have determined the genome sequences of two closely related lytic bacteriophages, SP6 and K1-5, which infect Salmonella typhimurium LT2 and Escherichia coli serotypes K1 and K5, respectively. The genome organization of these phages is almost identical with the notable exception of the tail fiber genes that confer the different host specificities. The two phages have diverged extensively at the nucleotide level but they are still more closely related to each other than either is to any other phage currently characterized. The SP6 and K1-5 genomes contain, respectively, 43,769 bp and 44,385 bp, with 174 bp and 234 bp direct terminal repeats. About half of the 105 putative open reading frames in the two genomes combined show no significant similarity to database proteins with a known or predicted function that is obviously beneficial for growth of a bacteriophage. The overall genome organization of SP6 and K1-5 is comparable to that of the T7 group of phages, although the specific order of genes coding for DNA metabolism functions has not been conserved. Low levels of nucleotide similarity between genomes in the T7 and SP6 groups suggest that they diverged a long time ago but, on the basis of this conservation of genome organization, they are expected to have retained similar developmental strategies.     

The tailspike protein of Shigella phage Sf6. A structural homolog of Salmonella phage P22 tailspike protein without sequence similarity in the beta-helix domain

Bacteriophage Sf6 tailspike protein is functionally equivalent to the well characterized tailspike of Salmonella phage P22, mediating attachment of the viral particle to host cell-surface polysaccharide. However, there is significant sequence similarity between the two 70-kDa polypeptides only in the N-terminal putative capsid-binding domains. The major, central part of P22 tailspike protein, which forms a parallel beta-helix and is responsible for saccharide binding and hydrolysis, lacks detectable sequence homology to the Sf6 protein. After recombinant expression in Escherichia coli as a soluble protein, the Sf6 protein was purified to homogeneity. As shown by circular dichroism and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the secondary structure contents of Sf6 and P22 tailspike proteins are very similar. Both tailspikes are thermostable homotrimers and resist denaturation by SDS at room temperature. The specific endorhamnosidase activities of Sf6 tailspike protein toward fluorescence-labeled dodeca-, deca-, and octasaccharide fragments of Shigella O-antigen suggest a similar active site topology of both proteins. Upon deletion of the N-terminal putative capsid-binding domain, the protein still forms a thermostable, SDS-resistant trimer that has been crystallized. The observations strongly suggest that the tailspike of phage Sf6 is a trimeric parallel beta-helix protein with high structural similarity to its functional homolog from phage P22.